Listen to a Demo of David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’
To celebrate what would have been David Bowie's 71st birthday, a previously unreleased demo of his 1983 hit "Let's Dance" is now available as a digital single — along with new thoughts from producer Nile Rodgers.
Looking back on the late 1982 sessions in a note penned for Bowie's official site, Rodgers recalls the moment he and Bowie started their Let's Dance adventure — with Bowie looming over Rodgers' bed, guitar in hand, and saying, "Nile, darling, I think this is a HIT!"
"This recording was the first indication of what we could do together as I took his 'folk song' and arranged it into something that the entire world would soon be dancing to and seemingly has not stopped dancing to for the last 35 years! It became the blueprint not only for 'Let’s Dance' the song but for the entire album as well," writes Rodgers. "If you played second guitar or drums, let us know who you are!"
As Rodgers goes on to reveal, he spent the days just before Christmas 2017 remixing the tapes — an experience he admits was fraught with emotion, as those sessions occurred just prior to the two-year anniversary of Bowie's death. Saying the studio was "full of tears," Rodgers adds, "It felt like David was in the room with us. Happy Birthday David, I love you and we all miss you!"
In addition to the new "Let's Dance" demo, which you can listen to above, Bowie fans can commemorate his birthday by viewing David Bowie: The Last Five Years, an HBO-produced look at the titular time span in his life that makes its broadcast debut today. For further details, visit HBO's Last Five Years page.